The 3 Most Flattering Hair Color Trends To Try This Fall

There’s something about the first day of fall that makes you want to switch up everything from your drink order to your makeup choices. Bidding adieu to summer, the seasonal shift also brings the desire for a brand new dye job. Luckily, with fall comes a crop of cool new hair colors to choose from.

Whether you want to make a dramatic change or just a subtle tweak, this season’s hottest hues offer a little something for everyone. Here, celebrity colorists reveal three of biggest (and most flattering) hair color trends for fall 2019. Bookmark and bring this to your next appointment for inspo.

Icy Blonde

Blonde hair is always in style, no matter the season, says Lucille Javier, a colorist at the Sally Hershberger Salon in NYC. But for fall it’s taken on a stronger, more deliberate vibe with cool, almost-white tones, she says. Keyword being tones — plural — and not allover platinum like in seasons past. “The color from a distance might look solid, but up close has soft dimension,” adds George Papanikolas, celebrity colorist for Matrix.

Just keep in mind that this color is best reserved for those whose hair is dark blonde or lighter, as you can achieve the desired effect by simply asking your colorist for lots of delicate baby highlights. “If your hair is darker than dark blonde, not only will you need to lift the base color first, but also the end result won’t have those cool undertones,” Papanikolas points out.

Coral Ombré

Living coral is the color of 2019. “The latest veneration of this for fall is a coral ombré — aka lightened ends with a touch of soft coral,” explains Papanikolas. We know, we know, coral sounds like a shade better reserved for a lipstick than your hair, but it’s surprisingly wearable: “Believe it or not, coral is a color that flatters most skin tones,” says Javier. Just as you’d think of a blush or bronzer enhancing and warming up your complexion, a coral hue can do the same for your hair, she adds.

While it works especially well on redheads and blondes, it’s an option even for medium brown shades (any darker and you’ll need to lighten your base color first). The caveat here: These delicate tones can fade quickly, says Papanikolas, so you’ll want to give your hair a little extra TLC to maximize the life of your shade.

Caramel Balayage

Balayage isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. It’s just slightly subtler, darker, and warmer for fall. The key here: Having the base color be one to two shades lighter in order to create enough contrast so that the highlights stands out, says Papanikolas. Hence why this is best on dark hair, since a caramel highlight on a dark blonde base can end up looking like one color, he adds.

Ask for face-framing highlights and a few at the ends. “Just be sure that there’s lot of negative space left in the hair so that the delicate highlights have dimension and contrast,” notes Papanikolas. Opting for these darker, caramel highlights also maintains the health of your hair, since you’re not lightening it as much, points out Javier. Upkeep-wise, choose a color-safe, hydrating shampoo, like Living Proof Restore Shampoo ($29; Sephora.com) to keep your new shade vibrant and your hair strong and soft.

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